


Walking with a ghost

by RedRaidingHood



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-02
Updated: 2014-07-02
Packaged: 2018-02-07 03:52:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,622
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1884318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedRaidingHood/pseuds/RedRaidingHood
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jason is studying abroad for six months. It’s only three days until he can finally meet his crush again, though.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Walking with a ghost

**Author's Note:**

> Italics are messages on the phone, btw

This week was the last. Only three days left and then, finally, Jason would return home. He’d been studying abroad this term and sure, it had been great. Six months in Germany, six months full of great adventures, a whole lot of new things to see and learn and lots and lots of pictures he’d show everyone at home in a few days. Now he only needed to pick up a few souvenirs and say goodbye to all his German friends before he got on his plane Friday morning.

It had been easy enough to find something for Leo – Jason only wondered what customs might say to a set of tiny wrenches and tweezers and all that tool-y stuff people use to work on clocks. Annabeth got a catalogue of Munich’s Deutsches Museum and Percy got a kiddie-swimming pool. He still needed to get something for the others though, and while he liked the idea of getting Piper some kind of Dirndl, the garb was much too expensive.

  * _so what about makeup?_



Oh, yeah, and something for Nico too. Jason smiled at his phone, questioning his own intelligence for asking Nico, who was at home, for advice on what to bring with him.

  * _she has enough of that already  
anyway, what do you want?_


  * _are you serious, grace?  
just come back home. i don’t need any stupid garbage that’s just going to catch dust_



Maybe it was the fact that he’d really missed Nico, or maybe it was just Jason being stupid, but the last few months, they had been writing messages almost non-stop. Sometimes, Jason even got the courage to call, and although he’d waste valuable money, it was worth just hearing Nico’s voice. Jason wasn’t so stupid as to not get what was happening to him though. He’d realized his heart beating excitedly and his hands shaking a little every time he got a new message, just hoping it was from Nico. He had realized the disappointment he’d feel if it wasn’t, too.

Wiping his sweaty hands on his jeans he put the phone back in his pocket. He really needed to get Nico something special.

The shop had everything one would expect in a souvenir shop: flags and magnets, key-chains and guides, cook-books, figurines and maps. But none of that really appealed to Jason. He sighed, running his fingers over the spines of a few books. Nico was great, he’d joined the track team last year and by now he was already one of the fastest runners of the state. Jason was proud of him and he was happy to see how good it was for Nico too. He’d made new friends, had become a lot healthier and more out-going and most of all: he was smiling a lot. Jason loved his smiles, had loved them when they had been exclusively for him, and still loved them now that Nico had so much more to smile about – although Jason felt a little tinge of jealousy gnaw at his heart every time Nico smiled at _someone_ else.

He left the shop with a silly key-chain for his sister and took out his phone grinning.

  * _can I ask you something?_




Nico was probably still lying in bed, reading, with his phone next to him, talking to Jason, so he didn’t need to wait long for an answer.

  * __as long as it’s not “what should I get the janitor”__



Jason’s grin widened. He could almost imagine Nico’s face, curiosity clear on his features, but careful nonetheless. His fingers danced on the screen of his phone, probably looking a lot like a crushing teenager – because that’s exactly what he was. His thumb hovered over the send button, reading and re-reading his message again and again. Biting his lip, he glanced around quickly, he’d arrived at the bus stop already, other people were waiting and the bus would arrive in a few minutes.

Felix was late. Jason had expected the son of his host family to take the same bus as him, but it didn’t seem likely now. Maybe he could call Nico instead of asking per message. On the spur of the moment, Jason deleted the words ‘ _will you be at the airport on friday?’_ and opened his contacts a little giddy. His hands were sweaty and his face warmed up in anticipation. He really wanted to hear Nico’s voice.

“Hey Jason! Sorry to make you wait!”

Instinctively, he turned and put his phone away. “Oh, hey Felix! I almost thought you wouldn’t come anymore.”

Felix was nice. He was a bit smaller than Jason and quite chubby but more than anything, he could quote pretty much any book he’d ever read; it was astonishing, really – but his grades were bad anyway and the whole family had been happy when Jason suggested to tutor him in a few of his subjects. Thus Jason and Felix had grown quite close over the last months, so it was no surprise when Felix tilted his head and stared at Jason smiling mischievously. “Nico?” he finally asked.

Jason laughed a little embarrassed and tugged on his ear. “How do you know?”

Felix took a few steps to the curb, looking for their bus and checking his watch. The bus was late. Great. “Just a shot in the dark. Say, how about we walk and you tell me about your plans to ask him out?”

 

San Francisco is nine hours behind Munich, Jason mused staring at the clock on his desk. Earlier, Nico would’ve been idling about, just up and about to start his day and by now… he could be back from morning training, getting a healthy breakfast or something. Jason opened Skype on his laptop, watching his contact-list come to life. Leo was on – probably _still_ on, but idle, so was Annabeth, but no Nico. But then again, maybe he was lucky… The mouse hovered over Nico’s name while Jason gathered his courage. He took a deep breath and finally wrote “ _hey nico, are you there?”_

Almost instantly, Jason got a call. This was too good to be true! Had Nico been sitting on his laptop, waiting for him?

A few seconds after he accepted the call, they could finally see each other, hear each other. Jason’s heart skipped a beat. “Hey there,” he started happily, but Nico apparently had none of that. He put a spoonful of muesli in his mouth, chewing it, while watching Jason unamused. Just before the silence got awkward, he said: “You wanted to ask me something.”

He said it so serious, so business-like, that both of them had to laugh. It was great. Jason propped an arm on his desk, shifting closer to his laptop. “Yeah, like” he looked away for a second, not really sure whether he crossed the line by asking Nico to pick him up, but… he had wanted to ask earlier. And he really wanted to see Nico as soon as possible, hugging him and have the excuse of jet-lag to keep leaning on him and maybe hold hands. “You wanna come to the airport on Friday?”

Nico blinked, the spoon still in his mouth. “Of course. Why?” He sounded like it was the most obvious thing ever; Jason hadn’t expected this turn of events though, and for a moment, he didn’t find the words, sputtering like an idiot.

Nico grinned at him smugly, shoving another spoonful in his mouth. He looked cute like that, really. “Ah, by the way,” he said, leaning to the side, somewhere Jason couldn’t see him anymore. He reappeared with a book in his hand, waving it in front of his webcam. “Derek Landy did a reading last week. I got your book signed.”

Jason’s heart nearly stopped. “You didn’t”

Nico opened the book and held it closer to the camera. Jason couldn’t quite see clearly _what_ was written there, but _there was something written in pen that hadn’t been there before._

“You wonderful, beautiful human being, I love you!”

Everything seemed to stop. He had not just said _that_ , had he? Nico wasn’t taking the book away, the camera only showing a blurred, white page. Jason’s heart raced; he had to say something, anything to make this sound like a joke. He balled his fists firmly, knuckles turning white and his eyes darted around the room. He _needed_ to say something that didn’t sound as awkward as he felt.

But then Nico laughed. He’d put the book away and took his bowl of muesli while standing up. “Be right back,” he said and left Jason to stare at the screen of his laptop. He had either fucked up, or… he was really lucky today. He obviously hoped for the latter.

When Nico came back, he was carrying his jacket with him, smiling a little apologetically. “Hey Jason, I’m running a bit late here.”

“Oh. _Oh_! Right, classes, it’s morning over there, isn’t it?”

Nico nodded, but kept smiling at the camera. He sounded reluctant, his jacket clenched close to his chest. “I’m gonna message you, ok?”

“Yeah, sure – If I don’t message you first,” Jason joked. He didn’t like how short their talks were, he’d really love to talk to Nico for hours, but nine hours were a big difference. He was lucky Nico woke up early for him every day, just to talk, to stay in contact.

 

Early Thursday morning, Jason thought he heard his phone beep just for a moment. Whatever it was, it sure could wait a few hours more, couldn’t it?

When he finally woke up, he was a little peeved he hadn’t answered his phone then. It had been Nico. Of course it had been Nico, the amazing boy that woke up hours too early for him, that talked to him about stupid nonsense and got out of his way to get Jason’s favourite book signed by his favourite author. Doing the math, Jason reckoned, Nico must’ve written him sometime before or after going out for his evening jog.

  * ___hey, I need to tell you something___



Just that, nothing more. Jason’s heart sank. Of course, he was so stupid, letting Nico wait for hours before responding. Internally cursing himself, Jason sat up in bed, stroking his hair back and starting to type. He did never get to send his answer though. His phone beeped again and again, a few times, right then and there.

  * _it’s ok if you don’t want me to come to the airport after this_  
just hear me out  
i  
i really should’ve told you this earlier  
i’m sorry, Jason  
I love you.




He nearly dropped his phone. Nico was awake. Nico had seen him write and had answered at once again. Nico had said he loved him.

Jason felt like he’d incinerate any moment now; his body warming up from head to toe everything just _tingling_. He read the message again, his mouth dry and his hands sweaty. He hadn’t misread anything. Nico loved him.

Jason jerked out of his daze, grappling with his phone for a moment, before typing his answer, his grin almost splitting his head.

  * _me tio_  
*to  
*too  
god I mewn  
*mean  
nico I love you too  
i’m so happy, soory, I ju  
just never expected this




He could almost hear Nico laughing at his antics, hopefully liking them, blushing and happy and grinning just like Jason was. This day started _really_ good. Really. No amount of Felix banging on his door, screaming about how they were late for class already, could wipe the dopey look from Jason’s face today.

They texted the whole day again, and Jason didn’t notice anything at all. Felix was saving him from running in front of a bus two times and just rolled his eyes when Jason apologized laughing.

Just for today, he was happy, hoping for nothing more than Friday to come; Friday, when he could finally see Nico again, hug him, hold hands, and maybe even kiss him.

Felix pulled him through a few shops too, for which Jason was thankful – he still needed souvenirs and without his friend, he probably would’ve forgotten all about them, just sitting at home on packed suitcases, waiting for Friday.

Thus, it was thanks to Felix that he found the perfect present for Nico; it would’ve probably been to early for a ring, but a bracelet was just the thing. And it was beautiful too, a thin silver chain with a small obsidian bead dangling from its clasp; unobtrusive enough to wear everyday, and still sturdy enough to be worn and noticed by it’s wearer. Jason wanted to put it around Nico’s wrist himself, wanted to hold his hand afterwards and feel the small bead dangling between them. He really wanted the hours to tick by faster.

This evening, Jason went to bed, sending one last message to Nico for today.

  * _i can’t wait to see you, i love you! see you tomorrow!_

  * _I love you too, Jason. Goodbye._




 

Jason liked flying. He always had, but today – Friday – he couldn’t be off the plane soon enough. Nico hadn’t had time to answer him in the morning, probably still fast asleep before Jason boarded the plane and had to shut his phone off. He missed the messages he’d normally get throughout the day, but for what it was worth, he could at least sleep the hours from Germany to America away.

Finally, _finally_ he was allowed outside, looking around the arrivals area for Nico’s face. He hopped a little on his feet, clutching the bracelet in his pocket and craning his neck over the other people who were meeting their families, friends and lovers. Jason bit his lip, his eyes still darting around, looking for his _boyfriend_. He couldn’t stop himself from laughing happily at the thought.

“Hey there, little brother.”

He spun on his feet, coming face-to-face with his own sister, Thalia. Not that he wasn’t happy to see her, but… she wasn’t _Nico_.

“Thalia! Hey, good to see you,” he smiled nevertheless and accepted her bone-crushing hug. She smiled back, but something seemed odd. Like the smile never reaching her eyes.

“Let me take this,” she insisted, taking his suitcase and backpack, leaving him only the hand baggage.

“I’m jet-lagged, not old!” He laughed. Still, his fingers itched to pull out his phone, to call Nico. “Hey, have you seen Nico? He’d said he’d meet me here…” Jason’s voice broke off; Thalia looked horrified, panicked. “Hey, what’s wrong? Thalia?” Something was definitely not right. Jason’s heart beat faster, his hand clutching the bracelet harder. “Thalia, where is Nico?”

Her eyes looked everywhere but to him, her lips quivering while she spoke. “Maybe you should sit down, Jay.”

The first traces of dread filled his heart. He licked his dry lips but shook his head. If something had happened to Nico… “Where is he?” His voice sounded weak even to his own ears.

Thalia still wouldn’t look at him, She blinked rapidly, her arms crossed, like she was hugging herself. “There was an accident, Jason.”

“No.” He took a step back. He didn’t want to hear this.

“He was out jogging on Wednesday, like always and the driver was drunk.”

“No!”

“They said he didn’t hurt much. He was dead at once.”

He couldn’t be dead. Nico couldn’t be dead, Thalia was lying.

“He still talked to me on Thursday!” Jason nearly screamed, his insides feeling like they were torn apart. His fingers were digging into his palm, the bracelet firm in his clasp.

Thalia met his eyes. She cried, shook her head and cried. “He’d have to be a ghost! He died on Wednesday, Jason.”

It was impossible, even taking the different time in account. Nico had confessed to him on Thursday.

**Author's Note:**

> Ooops~  
> I'm not even sorry, I just hoped you enjoyed the ride as much as I did!  
> Feel free to comment and/or criticize <3


End file.
